The present invention relates to a device for forming and transferring ordered stacks of bank notes.
The present invention is advantageously applied on machines which arrange bank notes then package them in bundles or groups of bundles, to which the following description refers, without limiting the scope of the invention.
The bank note control machines currently known comprise a main feed pipe, with substantially horizontal axis, the infeed of which is loaded with a succession of bank notes of any type and value. The bank notes are checked individually along the main channel and, following the elimination of any defective notes, are divided according to value and/or type and sent to relative main channel outfeeds, each independent of the others.
At each outfeed the bank notes are picked up individually and in succession by a pick up and transfer element which comprises a drum which rotates about an axis of rotation transversal to the axis of the main pipe. The edge of the drum has a plurality of seats designed to hold individual bank notes, feeding the bank notes to the infeed of a forming channel equipped with an accompanying element. The bank notes are rested on the accompanying element, on top of one another, so as to form stacks.
Normally, at least at each of the outfeeds from the main pipe, the feed of individual bank notes to the rotary drum and to the infeed of the relative forming channel is facilitated by air flows directed in the direction of feed of the bank notes.
Although facilitating bank note feed, it has been noticed that these air flows create turbulence along the forming channel, which may cause the bank notes to be incorrectly positioned on the accompanying element.
This disadvantage is made worse by further turbulence generated by the high speed of rotation and special geometrical configuration of each of the pick up and transfer drums, which may overturn some bank notes and even cause blockage of the forming channel infeed.
The aim of the present invention is to eliminate this type of disadvantage, by providing a device for forming and transferring ordered stacks of bank notes which can guarantee correct stacking and transfer of the stacks along the forming channel.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a device for forming and transferring ordered stacks of bank notes supplied by a control machine and comprising an outfeed pipe along which the bank notes are fed in succession to the infeed of at least one forming channel comprising a base and two side walls which retain the bank notes supplied individually and in succession to the forming channel infeed by a rotary transfer device located between the outfeed pipe and the forming channel, and designed to place the bank notes on top of one another, according to a stacking axis, defining the stack on an accompanying element. The accompanying element is mobile along the forming channel and the device is characterized in that it comprises shielding means located at the forming channel infeed.